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Tips to Stop Separation Anxiety

Many dogs suffer from anxiety, and one of the most common forms is separation anxiety. This is a deep routed and complex condition, and the destructive behaviors you see are often just the tip of the iceberg. The intensity of the problems can range from mild to severe. A mild case may involve a certain amount of barking every time the owner leaves the home, and not much more. In a severe case though, the behavior will be destructive and even dangerous. It is not unusual in these cases for the dog to cause serious damage to property. He may also injure himself, either while trying to escape from the home, or through deliberately biting and scratching himself, or running into objects. The tips and advice in this article are aimed at addressing the milder forms of separation anxiety, where the problem may be rooted in learned behaviors. For severe cases, such as those described above, these methods will not work, and you should immediately consult a veterinarian. These dogs may have deep-rooted psychological problems or even medical issues. In some cases medication will be required. But fortunately, these severe cases are the exception, rather than the rule. In most instances you’re dealing with a dog that barks, whines, jumps up and occasionally causes minor damage, either deliberately or by accident. You may even wonder if you need to take any action in such cases. The answer is an emphatic yes, because a dog showing these symptoms is likely unhappy and stressed. Address the problem while it is still mild, rather than allowing it to escalate. You may be wondering why some does develop this problem anyway. To fully appreciate this you need to understand that dogs are social animals. They are used to living in a pack and interacting with others. Herein lies the root of separation anxiety, but the actual cause is more nuanced that you may think. In fact, a dog’s instinctive need for “company” can play out in a number of contradictory ways. A submissive dog that is left alone will fear that he’s been left behind by the pack, while in a dominant dog, the behavior may be triggered by fear for the safety of his ‘pack’ while he’s not around to defend them. Different approaches may be required to address these different forms of anxiety, but there is a more general approach that will work in either case. We’ll be discussing this approach below. The technique is based on three separate actions you need to take. You will introduce a degree of randomness to your usual routines, you will limit the dog’s “territory” while you’re out, and you will manage your responses to the dog’s anxiety. This may sound like a lot, but it’s really simple. Let’s start by shaking up your dog’s world a bit. Dogs love predictability and they have a talent for spotting routines. Like most people, you probably go through the same rituals, day in and day out. Your dog knows these as well as you do, and when he notices you beginning your ‘leaving routine’ he starts to get anxious. You need to short circuit the dog’s recognition of the pattern. Here are 3 ways that you can do this; simply vary your routine, go through your normal routine – but don’t leave, and go out regularly for short periods, varying from a few hours to a few seconds. The next thing you need to do is restrict your dog’s space. Keep him confined to a couple of rooms, and give him a dog crate to hole up in. Submissive dogs will be less intimidated in a smaller space, while dominant dogs will be calmer as they have a smaller territory to patrol. Finally, you need to do is to stop giving your dog attention when he is in an anxious, worked-up state. Don’t make a big fuss about leaving home, and when you return, wait for the dog to calm down before you give him any attention. For more dog training tips covering crate training puppies, dog barking and lots more plus interesting articles on dog behavior, dog anatomy, types of dogs etc. Visit dogsanddogtraining.com